CGPB: The Undercat
by Otoshigo
Summary: [Miraculous: Tales of Clumsy Girl and Pretty Boy sequel] AKA Pretty Boy versus Chat Noir. Adrien's worst nightmare has come to life. He finds himself unable to turn into Chat Noir and now another has come to take his place. With Marinette in danger, can he still find the strength to save her?


It was a typical Monday at the College Francoise-Dupont. Marinette slept straight through her alarm, arrived late, got a reprimand. Then like clockwork (as if he'd been planning all weekend), Adrien tried talking to her, with some scheme or other that was completely hopeless. Just as he had for _months._

With physics as boring as it was, Marinette chewed on her pencil as she studied the blond in front of her. Once again, her hapless Pretty Boy botched up his greeting with her and somehow managed to spill coffee all over her in the process. It was exasperating sure, but it was easy enough to change into a new set of clothes with her house next to school. What was more unfortunate was that Adrien was once again utterly demoralized, mortified, and unable to even look in her direction. Even now he was nothing but a glowing ember of humiliation.

She felt awful about it, she really did. Awkward Adrien just tried _way too hard._ It was so painful sometimes. He was like a kicked puppy whenever something went wrong in his neverending quest to befriend her.

 _...I should throw him a bone._ It would be the _nice_ thing to do.

Decided, Marinette pulled up her cell phone to the last and only text conversation (if one could even call it that) she shared with the blond.

 _Hi! What's up?_

 _-TODAY-_

 _Want to go see a movie this weekend?_

From her close position behind, she heard the buzz of his cell. Surreptitiously, he checked it. Then gave a violent start as if someone had just zapped him with a taser. He spun around, his green eyes wide and incredulous. She answered with a grin that made him blush to his roots. He was absolutely adorable sometimes. It was just unfortunate that he suffered from chronic foot-in-mouth disease. Almost frantically, he replied:

 _ **Yes! I'd love to!**_

Still smiling, she texted back.

 _Great! I'll see if all four of us can go._

Well, she couldn't be _that_ nice. She did still have a boyfriend, technically.

At her message, she saw Adrien's shoulders hunch (just a little bit, to his credit). However, at least he was still bright with energy. A huge improvement from that depressed funk he was in moments before.

 _ **Sounds good. Looking 4ward to it. :):)):**_

"No cell phones in class!" Mendeliev chastised, confiscating both their devices. For Marinette, it was worth it just to see Adrien with a wide, goofy grin on his face for the rest of the day.

~o~

That afternoon, Marinette was forced to help out in the bakery until closing. After all her detentions and tardinesses, her parents decided to use that as the next level of punishment rather than grounding her in her room. It meant that they could keep an eye on her. It was irritating but _effective._ It was as if they _realized_ that their daughter was having clandestine meetings with a certain cat-boy on her balcony.

The door chimed as a customer walked in. Marinette looked up from her homework to see a familiar face. Theo Barbot stood in front of the glass patisserie display, rubbing his soul patch as he looked over her father's tempting creations. Once the small shock wore off, Marinette hopped off her stool and did what she could to be professional and courteous. "Hi, welcome Theo!" she said cheerfully, "anything I can help you with?"

The artist looked up to her in startlement. "Wha? Oh hi." He frowned. "I'm sorry, have we met before...?"

That was when Marinette realized her mistake. "Oh! No! I just recognized you from the statue unveiling that's all," she said quickly, her face heating with a blush. "Y'know, in the park across the street? I really love it. You're really talented. That's why I remember. Yup, the only reason. No other reason at all. I'm Marinette, by the way. Nice to meet you."

Theo raised an eyebrow, but seemed to take the weirdly worded compliment in stride. "Thanks, Marinette," he said, chuckling as he rubbed a hand over his neck. "Actually, yeah, you could help me. What do you recommend?"

Eager to get past the hair raising flub, Marinette went straight to help him. "Oh, of course! The macarons are our speciality. If you want something more tart, I like the bichon au citron." Casting a look around the empty bakery, she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially as if she were divulging some grave secret, "But if you really want my personal opinion, I'd go with the croissants. I grew up on them after all. They're the _best."_

"Oh, they are, are they?" Theo smiled, his eyes glowing with amusement. "Well, I can't exactly argue with that then, can I? I'll have four of those please."

"You got it." Cheerfully, she grabbed four croissants and then nabbed a fifth for good measure. "Don't tell anyone, okay?" she winked as she handed him the brown paper bag.

"Th-thanks," the artist blushed, gratefully taking his purchase. As she rung him up, he seemed to fidget. Then when she reached to pass him his change, he cupped her fingers in a way that sent alarm bells blaring in her mind. "Hey, I'm sorry. I don't normally do this, but do you want to go out sometime?"

Marinette stared, her smile dropping instantly from her face. A wave of intense discomfort and invasion washed over her, emanating from the feel of his calloused fingers against hers. Snatching her hand back, she clutched it to her chest. "I- um. Look, I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression, but I have a boyfriend." Not to mention, wasn't this guy like a decade older than her?!

At once, Theo looked genuinely embarrassed and contrite. "Oh, sorry!" he cried, putting his hands up in supplication. "I completely got the wrong signals. I'm really sorry!"

"Ahaha... that's okay. No harm done," Marinette replied with a weak laugh. She supposed she could give him the benefit of the doubt, seeing as she was working the bakery register. Maybe he just assumed that she looked young for her age. "A-anyway, enjoy those croissants!"

"I will, thanks," the artist replied, giving her a grin and a wave. "You have a good one. Sorry again."

Once he was gone, Marinette released a long breath as she fell back into her chair. Well, that was horrifyingly awkward. Not even in the sweet and innocent way that Pretty Boy somehow managed. Unbidden, a shiver of _ick_ crawled down her spine. _Guh..._ it was just unpleasant.

She knew for sure, she was _not_ telling Chat Noir about this. She didn't need her jealous cat going to claw Theo's eyes out in his sleep.

~o~

It was one of Theo's favorite pastimes to people watch in his favorite park. In between his odd jobs, he'd find his favorite bench in front of his Ladybug and Chat Noir statue, snacking on something or other as he watched kids play and people _ooh-_ and- _ahh_ over his greatest masterpiece. It was dusk when he made his way over today, armed with some croquettes for dinner. His eyes couldn't help but flick over to the patisserie across the street he'd visited on a whim earlier that week.

That whole exchange had been more than a little embarrassing. He had thought for sure the cashier girl had been flirting with him. Well, he definitely wouldn't be able to show his face around there for a little while. It was too bad. Marinette was right. The croissants were amazing.

Sighing, he leaned back against his seat, taking a bite of his warm croquette. That was when he spotted the silhouette in one of the windows above the patisserie. With a start, he realized that it was _her._ Wait, she lived there? She must be related to the owners then. With a little guilty start, he watched her for a little while before he tore his eyes away. She should _really_ close her blinds if she was getting ready for bed.

That was when he spotted a _very_ familiar figure darting across the rooftops. Chat Noir. As ever, an old twinge plucked at his heart. He couldn't help himself, even though he didn't feel any real jealousy towards the cat anymore. It was a documented fact that Ladybug and Chat Noir were a couple. They'd more than once shared a kiss for the cameras, Ladybug blushing and the cat smug. No, he more or less just thought about the whole affair as a passing 'what if' sort of fantasy.

...Wait, why was Chat Noir dropping in on that girl's balcony?

Theo's eyes widened as he watched the hatch to the attic open and the cashier girl greeted Chat Noir with a wide smile. Then he was casually invited in, as if it were a regular occurrence.

The croquette dropped from Theo's hand, his jaw going slack. Wait. But that didn't- Chat Noir was supposed to be dating Ladybug!

' _I have a boyfriend,'_ the beautiful cashier girl had said. Which meant-

Chat Noir was two-timing Ladybug and Marinette?!

Theo tore to his feet, his hands fisting at his sides, a familiar _hatred_ and jealousy flaring to life in his heart. Only this time it was so much more potent. Chat Noir already had the most amazing woman in the whole of Paris and now he was stepping out on her?! How could he? _HOW COULD HE?_ Fury burned in his core, making his vision spin until all he could see was red. He would show that mangy cat! He would show him once and for all!

Something dark and familiar echoed in the back of his mind.

 _Welcome back, Copycat,_ the voice purred as his world was enclosed in black.

~o~

Adrien bobbed on his feet on pins and needles as he waited at the metro stop. Gorilla hovered some meters away, keeping a close eye on his charge. It was unfortunate, but he didn't want the bodyguard to come snapping him away in the middle of a group date because he'd snuck away. (Although the word _date_ might stretching it a bit.) In his shirt, Plagg _pssted_ at him, "Kid, just chill! It's a movie. It doesn't require any talking."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I _know_ that, Plagg," he muttered, pushing the little black kwami further down into his pocket with a finger. "Just don't do anything like make the popcorn explode all over the place."

"Get me cheddar flavor!" the kwami retorted, not promising anything of the sort.

Sighing, the model sensed someone approach and saw Nino and Alya coming up to him from the metro. He should probably be more friendly, but... "...You two couldn't figure out how to ditch us?" he asked flatly, more than a little accusing. Both of them were more than aware of the massive crush that he had on Marinette. This should have been the perfect opportunity to actually conspire to get the pair of them together.

"Yeeeeah, we thought about it," Nino said, before his girlfriend cut in:

"But honestly we've seen you crash and burn so many times, we figured we couldn't leave you alone." Adrien narrowed his eyes. Alya only responded with a smile. "Oh come on, like you wouldn't do the same in our shoes. We're your support team. If everything's going well, _then_ we'll ditch. Make Marinette think we went off to make out or something."

"Wait, is that not in the cards?" Nino asked, causing Alya to punch him in the shoulder.

Then from afar a voice called, "Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late!" The three of them turned towards Marinette. Upon sight of her, Adrien's face exploded into a blush. The designer was wearing a stupid cute, pink summer dress that he'd never seen before. Of course, he usually only saw Mari in her PJs when Chat Noir went to visit her at night and at school she usually stuck exclusively to pants. It seemed that she wanted to dress up this time and... and _wow._

Unable to articulate anything but a squeak, he waved weakly at her.

"Pretty Boy, you look nice," Marinette grinned, plucking at the collar of his black jacket. "Oh! I saw this in MODE, May edition! I love this on you!"

Adrien was sure that he could die happy right then.

"I-I-I love-" he stammered, his blush overheating his brain as all sensible thought flew out the window. "I-I mean! I love-!"

Alya elbowed him viciously in the ribs before he could say something ridiculous. Then she turned a grin on her bestie. "Shall we go get tickets? We can still catch the previews."

"Let's do it!" Marinette grinned, leading the pack as they headed into the theater.

Somehow with some careful maneuvering, Nino and Adrien ended up on the outside of the group with Marinette sandwiched between the blond and Alya. It took everything Adrien had to simply focus on the movie in front of them. Instead of being arm to arm with the girl he'd been trying futilely to talk to for the past few months as just plain old Awkward Adrien Agreste.

 _Be cool. Be cool,_ he told himself, keeping his hands firmly gripped on the large bucket of cheddar popcorn he'd bought to keep his kwami placated.

In the dark of the theater, an elbow nudged his forearm. "Pretty Boy, you can't watch the movie if your eyes are closed," the voice teased. Blushing profusely, Adrien cracked one eye open. However, Marinette's attention was already back on the screen, paying rapt attention to the opening scene.

Okay, he could do this. All he had to do was sit still and stay silent. Sit still. Be quiet. Pretend that this was a photoshoot. Yeah, he could do that. He could totally do that. He got this! What could _possibly_ go wrong from just watching a movie?

...He should have never asked that question.

Seconds later, the screen suddenly was blotted out by a black shadow. The film crackled to a stop, making several people cry out in indignation. The lights in the theater flashed on, blinding everyone temporarily from the sudden change.

That was when a figure clad in black somersaulted in front of the four of them. One that was entirely too familiar. Chat Noir squatted on the back of the theater seat in front of Marinette, his expression perfectly smug. Like the cat that had caught the canary.

Adrien's jaw dropped, his eyes going impossibly wide. Wait. This had to be a dream. He'd _had_ this dream before! It was his very worst nightmare come to life. Yeah, it was a dream. It _had_ to be. There was no way this was real!

That did nothing to reassure him, when Chat Noir took Marinette's hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "I've been looking for you," he purred, a smirk stretching across his lips.

Marinette for her part, was stunned. Her head whipped violently from Adrien to Chat Noir to Adrien, before they finally settled on the black cat. "I- you- uh..." she stammered, at a complete loss for words.

"Chat Noir!" Alya cried excitedly, whipping out her phone to start vlogging. "What are you doing here! Is there an akuma nearby?"

"Would I be here otherwise?" the cat grinned, putting his hands on his hips. To Marinette, he said gravely, "I have it on good authority that the akuma is after you. I came to protect you, Mari." Taking her by both hands, he pulled her up from her seat to a stand. "We should leave here immediately. We wouldn't want to put everyone else in danger."

Marinette frowned, but she didn't seem afraid in the least. Of _course,_ she wouldn't be. She was Ladybug after all. Instead, her eyes were alight with the fire and determination that Adrien so adored. She was probably thinking right now about leaving and turning into Ladybug right in front of... Oh _no._

Finally gathering his wits, Adrien jumped to his feet, sending popcorn spilling all over the floor. "She's not going anywhere with you!" he snapped, throwing an arm out protectively between this fake and his Clumsy Girl.

Chat Noir craned his neck disinterestedly in his direction. There was nothing but utter distaste in his expression as he looked the model over, as if he were nothing more than dirt beneath his shoe. "Oh, you're that Adrien Agreste, aren't you?" he snorted, his voice dripping with contempt. "What do you think you're going to do, Pretty Boy? Can _you_ handle an akuma? Some cover boy model? _Please."_

The words hit far too close to home. Adrien went white as the hollow reflection of his nightmares was parroted back at him. It was probably a coincidence he picked _that_ name, and yet...

" _CHAT!"_ Marinette snapped, her eyes blazing with brimstone and disapproval. "Don't you talk to him like that! I won't take it! Not even from you!" She grabbed Adrien by the hand, right past Chat Noir and towards the exits.

"Marinette! Where are you going?!" Chat Noir demanded behind them.

"Away from _you!"_ the pig-tailed girl snapped.

Chat Noir's eyes narrowed. His gaze trained on Adrien's back, his expression turning dark and calculating. Beside him, Alya and Nino glanced to each other, unsure of what to make of that whole exchange. Hesitantly, Alya called to him, "Hey, Chat Noir? What's this new akuma that's after Mari?"

The black cat glanced to her, then to the phone still recording him in her hands. Wordlessly, he snatched the thing from her fingers, ignoring her cry of surprise, then threw it against the wall where it shattered. "HEY!" Alya cried, but Chat Noir was already gone. Not towards Marinette, but the back of the theater from whence he came.

Nino and Alya, as well as many others in the theater, could only blink in dumbfoundment.

Outside the theater, Adrien wasn't sure how long Marinette was going to drag him through the street. She was so focused on the single action of saving him from Chat Noir's sharp tongue, she didn't even look back at them until they were blocks away from the theater. Finally, Adrien thought he had to say something, lest she take them all the way to the Seine. "H-hey, Mari..." he started, finally making her steps falter.

His Clumsy Girl slowed, coming eventually to a stop. She still wasn't looking at him. Adrien had absolutely no idea what to say to her. Something along the lines of, ' _Hey, that wasn't the real Chat Noir. I'm right here. Your Kit-Kat. Right behind you,'_ came to mind, but he found his tongue clogged in his throat.

Marinette turned around, staring at him with eyes uncertain. He'd never seen such an expression on her face before. Worrying her lower lip, she looked down to her side. Then without warning, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight. A blush like none other heated up his whole body as he stared down at the top of Marinette's raven hair pressed underneath his chin.

"You'll always be my sunshine child," she whispered, her voice barely audible to his ears.

Slowly, hesitantly, Adrien raised his arms. He wanted to console her, even though he didn't know how or _why_ she was so upset. However, before he could fully take her into a hug, she stepped back and spun on her heel. Then she dashed through the crowded street and out of his line of sight.

Adrien stared after her. The temptation to run after her was nearly overwhelming. ...However, he had more important things to attend to. His gaze whipped back to the theater, his expression darkening as his lips drew into a grim line.

"Plagg," he hissed to his shirt pocket, "we need to get to the bottom of this."

However, nothing answered him.

Adrien blinked. "Plagg?"

That was when he remembered. Plagg was in the bucket of popcorn. Which he spilled all over the theater floor. The blood drained from his face, as his expression went from dark to pure white. "Plagg!" he cried, dashing back towards the theater.

However, that was when Gorilla caught him by the waist, snatching him up like a toddler from the ground. Adrien writhed and wriggled, trying to get out of his bodyguard's grip. "No, wait! I forgot something in the theater!" he cried, but he was already being taken back to the car. Apparently, the news of Chat Noir's theater invasion got out, otherwise Gorilla would never be hustling him like this. " _WAIT!"_ he shrieked, before he was summarily shoved into the town car.

Meanwhile, a little tiny god was swept up from the ground where he had been pigging himself out on popcorn. With a tiny yowl, he found himself deposited into a trash bin. Plagg looked around to his new environs and realized that there was food _everywhere._ Letting out a squeal of glee, he immediately set to making the most of this opportunity.

~o~

That night Ladybug went out on patrol. She tried several times to call up Chat on her compact. He never picked up.

Something wasn't right here. She could feel it in her bones.

However, she didn't see any sign of Chat Noir or _any_ kind of akuma that night. At the crack of dawn, she had to give up the chase. Sighing to herself, she snuck silently back into her room to catch an hour of shut eye before she had to get ready for school.

That was when she noticed the red rose on top of her chaise. It had a note attached.

 _ **XOXO CHAT NOIR  
Be here tomorrow night**_

~o~

The next day, Adrien did the unthinkable.

He skipped school.

As soon as the Gorilla dropped him off at the gates, he skived out to run back to the theater to track down his kwami. He managed to get them to let him in early and he rummaged through all their trash cans and the dumpster trying to find Plagg. However, after several hours of searching, with nothing to show for it besides a hell of a stink, he was forced to give his search up and return to school before his bodyguard figured out he was missing.

The blond was at his wit's end. Surely, Plagg could figure out _some_ way to get back to him. It's not like the little annoying black devil didn't know where he lived! He couldn't help but stare at his silver ring, the doubt beginning to creep in. In his nightmares, he didn't have the ability to turn into Chat Noir either. He was just Pretty Boy, Awkward Adrien. Chat Noir was a whole other entity besides himself. Confident, stronger, superior. Better than him in every way.

Adrien shook his head. No, he was being stupid. Plagg was just missing, that's all. It wasn't like he never existed in the first place. He was still the real Chat Noir. Sort of. Even if he couldn't transform into him right at this moment.

Arriving at school right in time for last period, he said nothing as he sat down in his seat. Nino wrinkled his nose at the very obvious _funk_ coming off of him, but he didn't say a word about it. That was a best friend for you.

Adrien looked over his shoulder at Marinette. Only to realize that he caught her staring. Their eyes locked and both of them whipped their gazes away simultaneously. Even as he fought down a blush, he worried his lower lip, wondering what he was supposed to do about this fake Chat Noir. Without Plagg, it wasn't like he could go and prove he was the real deal. Even so, it was obvious that for whatever reason, the fake was after Marinette.

A very strong sense of deja vu came over the blond as he thought of a different fake that had been after Ladybug. Could it be the same guy? What were the odds that an akuma could infect the same person twice. Fair to reasonable. What were the odds that the same manifestation would occur in two different people. Impossibly unlikely.

Well, it's not like he didn't know where Theo Barbot lived. He could go there even as himself and investigate. His eyes flicked over his shoulder, sensing Marinette behind him. But what to do about her? If the fake somehow tricked her into turning into Ladybug in front of him...? The easiest way to protect her would be to reveal himself and damned be the consequences.

...But again without Plagg, how was he supposed to do _that?_ There was no way she'd believe that her awkward Pretty Boy also happened to be her boyfriend, suave, silver-tongued Chat Noir.

Feeling a headache growing, Adrien rubbed his temples. His choices were investigate or protect. Investigate or protect. ...Honestly, was that even really a choice? He'd always choose Marinette, over all else. His earnestness getting the better of him, he whipped around and faced his secret-girlfriend. "Marinette!" he said forcefully, "Sleep with me tonight!"

The class fell silent, Mme. Bustier freezing mid-sentence to stare at the model. Which is when Adrien realized what he'd just said. Right in front of everyone. In the middle of a lecture. His whole face heated up with mortification, his jaw dropping.

Marinette blinked. Then she let out a snort as she tried to hold back a laugh. For some reason, that set Adrien's mind at ease and he felt his lips soften into a smile.

"Mr. Agreste!" Mme. Bustier cried, flustered. "Please reserve your extracurriculars for after class!" With that, she continued the lecture as best she could while the class snickered at the model's latest gaffe.

 _After_ class, Marinette actually approached him to clarify matters. "So... were you talking about a sleepover?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow as she regarded the blond.

"O-oh, y-yes!" Adrien stammered, his face heating. He could already feel the babble rising up from his throat, word vomit of the very worst kind. "N-n-not like anything bad or anything! B-but with Chat Noir around and s-some akuma after you, you should be somewhere safe! N-not that your parents aren't safe, they're totally safe! It's n-not like they abuse you or anything! B-but my house has cameras! I mean, on the outside! On the inside, that would be totally creepy and inappropriate! We have cameras on the outside for our security! A-and I just- You need to be safe, Marinette!"

There were way, _way_ too many things wrong with what he just said. Too many things. He was completely prepared for her to do her usual polite escape route. He cringed in anticipation, waiting for the awkward (but understandable) excuse to leave.

"Okay."

Adrien cracked one eye open. Marinette smiled down at him. "You probably had kind of a shock running into Chat Noir like that," she decided, patting him on top of the head as if he were a puppy. "It's really cute that you're worried about me. If it really makes you feel better, I don't mind staying at your house tonight."

He wasn't sure how he felt about that reasoning ...but he'd take it!

"O-okay, great!" he cried, as their classmates stared dumbfounded at this new development. "You can come whenever you like. I'll make sure that the chef makes whatever you want! You don't need to worry about getting drugged or any-"

Marinette slapped a hand over his mouth. "Just- _stop._ Before I change my mind." Eyes wide, Adrien nodded slowly. Casting him an exasperated look, his Clumsy Girl shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know what to do with you sometimes, Pretty Boy. I'll see you tonight, okay?"

The blond nodded again, but Marinette was already heading out of the classroom.

That was when he became aware of several stares settling upon him. Nino outright gaped. "What-" he started incredulously, "What the _hell_ was that?! Since when could you randomly invite her over to your house?!"

Adrien blinked. "But... I still completely botched it."

"No kidding!" Alya cried. "I don't know what Mari's thinking. Maybe she's all shook up by Chat Noir showing up too." She narrowed her eyes as she regarded the blond. "As for you, you _better_ not think about doing anything weird to her! I don't know what kind of overblown fantasies you've must have had to be able to keep this up for this long, but I better not hear about it tomorrow!"

Adrien stared at her, his jaw dropping. "What kind of person do you take me for?!"

"A boy," Alya snapped instantly, her sharp tongue whipping half the class' population like a wet towel. Most of all, her boyfriend.

" _Hey!"_ Nino cried in indignation.

Sighing to himself, Adrien tuned out the ensuing argument. Instead he thought of his secret-girlfriend coming over to spend the night. He was unexpectedly calm about the prospect. Most likely because he was far too worried for her to be fretting about his own standing in her eyes. She didn't have her Kit-Kat and she had no idea. The thought furrowed his brow, making his fists clench. No. Now more than ever, he had to _be_ Chat Noir. He wasn't about to let some impostor take over, just because he didn't have a mask.

 _Don't worry. I'm still here for you, CrazyBug. Even if you don't know it._

~o~

 _Why am I doing this?_

Marinette stood at the gate of the Agreste mansion, overnight bag slung over her shoulder. Worrying her lower lip, her finger hesitated over the buzzer. Fraught with indecision, uncertainty. She didn't know what to make of Chat Noir's sudden appearance at the theater, causing a scene, his weird way of speaking. And that note he'd left her, which made a chill go down her spine as though it were a threat. It was like she was seeing him through a stranger's lense. It didn't _feel_ like him.

 _None_ of it felt right.

She hated feeling this uncertain about her Kit-Kat. For the first time, she began to regret her decision, to love him unconditionally with the mask on. She had no idea where he could be. Hated how easily he could just _disappear_ from her. A cold fear trickled through her as she wondered if Chat was once again victim to another akuma attack. Or worse...

She could be wrong though. If she was and there was a normal akuma after her (well, technically they _all_ were), then she was putting Adrien needlessly in danger. If something were to happen to him... She didn't think she could bear it.

Marinette pulled her hand back. This was stupid. She should just go home. She was Ladybug after all. She could figure this out on her own. She could face Chat Noir tonight. She never needed help with that before.

That was when she spotted the mop of blond hair coming towards her from behind the gate. "M-Marinette!" her sunshine child grinned brightly, his cheeks glowing, "You came!"

Well, _shit._ Now she couldn't leave.

"Yup, I'm here!" she declared, forcing a smile to her face. "You gonna let me in or what?"

He gladly did so, all smiles and brimming with energy as he led her into his home. He was nervous still, sure. Still stuttering and stammering. But something seemed to shift in him. Like there was a _purpose_ in him now. Because of her?

Marinette wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Hey, thanks for letting me stay," she said, when Adrien led her to the spare bedroom. She was surprised by how much she meant it.

Her Pretty Boy blinked, then blushed brightly. "O-of course," he stuttered, ducking his head down shyly. "A-anything for you, Marinette."

Damn it, why was he so cute? This wasn't _fair._

She wanted him so badly to be...

No, she wasn't going to finish that thought. Not yet, anyway.

Instead, she smiled and said, "So, I believe that you promised me a rape-drug free dinner?"

The rest of the night passed surprisingly peacefully. After dinner, she called it an early night to catch up on all the sleep she'd missed the night before. Adrien didn't mind in the least. He was far more concerned with her welfare than actually needing to spend time with her. She was exceedingly grateful. Feeling spoiled and most of all _safe,_ she slept like a log that night in a ridiculously comfortable bed.

The next morning, she got a call from her parents and the safety net was ripped out from under her like a rug.

"S-something wrong?" Adrien asked at the breakfast table, his handsome face marred with concern at her pallor.

"My parents said my room got wrecked last night," she whispered. A cold, sick feeling welled up in her. Her parents were right downstairs. She should have been there. If something had happened to them...

"You're staying here."

Marinette looked up, startled to see the fierceness in Adrien's expression. His lips set in a grim line, his eyes hard as he regarded her. "I'll talk to your parents," he spoke in a voice that brooked no quarter. "I'm sure they'll agree. You need to stay out of sight."

Her breath caught. He was in one of those _moods_ again. No, mood wasn't quite the right word. There were rare moments where he'd simply 'forget' himself, letting a natural confidence and charisma take hold. Just like that first time he flirted with her. She never forgot it. At the same time, it didn't feel disingenuous. It was like this was the young man lurking underneath that painfully awkward exterior all along. Like he was trying to constantly fight to the surface and sometimes broke free.

Then like that he was gone again, Adrien's expression turning unsure and embarrassed. "I-I mean, if you want to," he said quickly, growing flustered. "I d-don't want to force you to stay here, if you don't want to."

Holding back a disappointed sigh, Marinette instead gave her classmate a worried frown. "Are you sure? I don't want the akuma to target you instead. And what about your dad...?" To be honest, she was shocked that Gabriel had given permission for her to stay in the first place, given what Nino told her about him.

Adrien quickly shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He gave her a shy smile. "I-I don't want you to worry about anything."

An unwilling blush threatened to dust her cheeks. So she overcompensated, waving a dismissive hand as she laughed. "Gosh, what's got you all worked up, Pretty Boy? Since when were you so serious?"

The smile dropped and guilt pooled in her stomach as she watched that boy shutter up his confidence even more.

Now who was the disingenuous one?

Gripping his hands hard on the table, Adrien somehow fought through it. She could see the mental battle in his eyes and the way that he shook his head to himself. His green eyes flicked up to her. "S-so, you're staying, right?"

"I..." Marinette started, before she sighed. Well, it wasn't like she had anywhere else to go. She couldn't go back to her room. Her parents would probably be safer if she stayed away from them besides. She gave him a weak smile. "Thanks for having me."

~o~

 _Where the hell is Plagg?!_

Adrien felt himself growing more worried and agitated as he looked out the window of his town car as the Gorilla chauffeured him to school. Marinette was in a different car, different route. It was one of the security measures he insisted on, so that no one (namely the fake Chat Noir) realized that the pair of them were living together and could track her down. He did still have the instincts of a hunter, even though his kwami was MIA.

They'd been careful about moving Marinette from her house too, as Adrien kept an eye out to the rooftops to make sure they weren't seen. Nathalie and Gorilla were sworn to secrecy and well... his father honestly had no idea Marinette was in the house. He was just never around enough to notice. Frankly, Adrien was shocked that Nathalie and Gorilla would defy him like this by omitting such an important detail. But maybe they'd seen him make a fool of himself time and time again over this girl, it was only natural they'd help when she was legitimately in danger.

The only way to really fix this though, was if he could emerge as Chat Noir. He could actually go to his Clumsy Girl and explain things properly. Then together they could both track down this fake and kick ass like they always did.

But without his kwami, it was a non-starter.

Adrien was seriously considering putting a classified ad out. _Help. Missing. Black Cat Toy that Eats Cheese._

The car pulled up in front of the school and he let himself out. He waited at the front steps for Marinette to pull up. She should be here any minute.

"Where is she?"

Adrien started violently, spinning on his heel. Chat Noir stood behind him, hands on his hips as he glared at the blond. Adrien pulled the strap of his bag off his shoulders, his legs shifting into a defensive stance as he readied to swing the book bag in the fake's face should he come closer. It was all instinct, done in less than a second. He could see Chat Noir label him in his mind as _Threat._ Around them, his schoolmates didn't seem to see the subtle signs of danger coming off each of them, all of them gabbing excitably about their unexpected visitor.

"I'm not going to ask again," Chat hissed, his clawed hand reaching back. Towards the baton.

Adrien grit his teeth. He didn't even have his rapier. Even if he did, he still knew he wouldn't be a match.

"Chat Noir? What are you doing here?"

The blond went cold when he heard Marinette's voice. He turned and saw her approach with a sharp smile on her face. No! What was she doing?! She should have just turned around!

"Why, Mari, I am here to see you of course," Chat Noir replied, all but forgetting Adrien as he went to greet the pig-tailed girl. He swept into a bow, kissing the back of Marinette's hand. "I've been looking for you _everywhere._ Where did you go?"

Adrien growled as his blood curdled with jealousy. His hands fisted at his sides so tightly that they trembled. He wasn't even a _good_ copy! He didn't know all their little tells and nicknames! She had to see right through it!

Marinette looked past Chat Noir to him, before she diverted her attention back to the fake. "Oh, I've been around," she replied nonchalantly. Her eyes narrowed. "I heard that my room got trashed. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

"Well, I _did_ warn you that an akuma was after you, Marinette," Chat replied with a shrug. He took Marinette's hands in his, giving her a soul searching gaze. "That is exactly why I've come to steal you away from here. For your own safety."

 _The hell you are!_

Bristling like a cat, Adrien forcefully inserted himself into the situation. Yanking Marinette's arm away from Chat, he took her arm in his and glared the fake down with all his fury. Chat Noir glanced at him again, his expression twisting into a snarl. "You again?! Don't you know where you're not wanted?!"

"Er, I think what Adrien is trying to, um, say," Marinette said delicately, though the blond hadn't actually said much of anything, "is that we have school. Can't miss school, y'know. Growing minds and all that."

The fake Chat _tsked_ with annoyance. "...Fine," he said, taking Marinette by her other arm. "I'll go with you." Over the top of her head, his cat green eyes fixed with Adrien's, narrowing in contempt. Adrien glared back in challenge.

Then he suddenly tripped, falling face first into the concrete. "Adrien! Are you alright?" Marinette gasped.

Meanwhile Chat smirked, shortening the baton he'd used behind her back to trip the model up. "Not very graceful for a model, is he?" he drawled, before he tugged Marinette by the arm to head to the school entrance. "Let's go shall we?" She cast a look down at the blond, but then let herself be led away.

Adrien pushed himself up the ground, hissing from a nasty scrape on his forearm from where he'd hit the pavement. He looked up to see the pair of them walking off arm in arm, with Chat Noir smirking deviously over his shoulder. Another chill went through him. This was just like his nightmare too. This exact scene. He always lost to Chat Noir, no matter what he did.

A wave of uncertainty came over him. What did he think he could do like this? He was nothing without the suit. He couldn't even talk to the girl that he was in love with properly. How did he think he could take on a superhero, even if he was a fake?

Then he remembered. Marinette wasn't just a figment of his dream. She was real. She was in danger.

Shaking his head to clear it of his self-doubt, he clenched his hands at his sides. Adrien Agreste was _not_ going to back down this time. He was Chat Noir and he wasn't going to let Marinette go without a fight.

~o~

That day, their class experienced one of the weirdest days they had ever yet to experience. And they'd been through a lot. From hairdryers invading the library, stone golems destroying their classroom, a pink ooze of horror trapping them in school, even getting turned into pink clown girls.

Even Chat Noir suddenly deciding that he wanted to be cozy with Marinette didn't put a dent in the most bizarre development of the day.

A _change_ had come over their single-most hopeless, hapless, crush-induced stuttering, awkward mess that was cover boy model, Adrien Agreste. There were traces of him still there, when Marinette addressed him directly or vice-versa, but for the rest of the time...

It started when Chat Noir took a seat next to Marinette's right. Which promptly led to Adrien kicking Alya out of her seat to sit with Nino and taking her left. When Marinette forgot her book, Adrien forcefully shoved Chat Noir away so that the pair of them could share without the black cat hovering over her shoulder. For every mischievous prank the superhero played on the model, Adrien hit back just as hard and with ten times more viciousness. For the rest of the time, he hovered over Marinette like a silent, protective guard dog. No one had any idea what to make of it. Least of all _why_ the blond would act so aggressively against Chat Noir of all people.

The final straw came at lunch.

"Ahh, that was so boring~! I kept wanting to take catnaps throughout," Chat Noir cried as he stretched his arms over his head. In one smooth move, he wrapped an arm around Marinette's shoulders. Laying on her a smirk, he said, "Well, now that that's over, why don't we- YEOWCH!" he cried, his arm whipping away as if he'd been stung.

Adrien quickly hid the sharp point of his compass down at his side. "Hmm, must've been a bee," he said lightly. Then he pounced on his crush, taking her hand in his. "N-Nettemari, d-do you eat food?" he asked, still somehow managing to flub his phrasing on the outtake.

Marinette glanced over her shoulder at the scowling Chat, before she said brightly. "Why yes, Adrien! I'd love to have lunch with you!"

At this, the blond beamed in pure delight. Wisely deciding not to say anything at all, he took her hand and led her out of the classroom for lunch off campus. "See you later, Chat!" Marinette called, leaving their dumbfounded schoolmates behind them.

Alya's jaw dropped. "Wh-what the _hell_ was that?!" she cried, both arms waving at the door to the classroom. "I'd never seen him act like that before!"

Sensing an opportunity, Chat Noir sat languidly back in his seat, crossing his arms behind his head. "Well, I did say that an akuma was after her, didn't I?" he remarked lightly, drawing the attention of the students. They shared an uncertain look.

Max adjusted his glasses and remarked, "Well, we _were_ taking a betting pool on when he'd finally snap and akumatize."

"You _what?!"_ Nino cried in indignation.

"Oh, like you weren't thinking it," Kim scoffed. "There's only so much humiliation that someone can take before they go dark." Which of course, _he_ would know from personal experience.

"Don't be ridiculous. He doesn't even _look_ like an akuma," Chloe called from the front. No one in class had yet to fully understand her bizarre relationship with her old childhood friend. The closest they came to was calling it tough love of the toughest sort. So it was only mildly surprising she'd come to his defense.

"Yeah, but akuma take all shapes and sizes. We can't be sure that he _isn't,"_ Alix pointed out, "Plus look how he's acting with Chat Noir! Who else would act like that with a superhero if they weren't a _supervillain?"_

The class fell silent as they considered this. For his part, Ivan - just about the only person in class who understood Adrien's plight - didn't look convinced. "He's in love," the large boy said with a sage nod, "people do weird things when they're in love. It doesn't mean he's an akuma."

Alya frowned and decided she'd get to the bottom of it. She called up Marinette and waited for her to pick up. "Hey girl, how's your date with Pretty Boy going?"

" _What?"_ the designer scoffed over the line. " _It's not a date, Alya. We're just going to lunch as friends."_

"Okay... you'll tell me if anything weird happens, right?" the reporter asked uncertainly.

" _Yeah, sure."_ One could almost hear the eyeroll over the line. " _It's Pretty Boy, Alya. He's harmless. Oh, here he comes with the crepes. I'll talk to you later."_ With that she hung up.

The reporter looked up to her classmates' expectant looks. "Jury's still out."

"Well then," Chat Noir purred, gracefully uncrossing his legs as he came to a stand. "We'll see what he does after school, shall we? I promised that I would take Mari to safety at the end of the day. If he tries to stop me, you'll know he's an akuma. Agreed?"

As the class nodded in consensus, Chat couldn't help but smile darkly, a mental purr rippling at the back of his mind.

~o~

When Adrien came back to class, he sensed a _change_ in his classmates. They were all looking at him far more warily now, as though he were about to whip out his rapier and attack them at any second. Granted, he did stop at his locker to pick up his fencing bag, but the sword was reserved for Chat Noir alone. It was suspicious. Just _what_ had that fake put into their heads while they were away for lunch? Did the fake Chat _know_ about him or was he being labeled a general nuisance and a threat?

He was about to find out after class. Knowing that Marinette needed to get away without Chat Noir following, Adrien followed them at a distance. As agreed that morning, Marinette made a beeline for the car awaiting her, rebuffing Chat as she went. Then, as the town car began to speed away, Chat Noir immediately made to follow his quarry.

Which is when Adrien took the stone from his pocket and hurled it at Chat as hard as he could. It hit the fake right in the back of the head. Not enough to harm him (he'd taken much worse hits as Chat before), but certainly enough to hurt. More importantly, enough to distract.

Chat whirled on him, his green eyes blazing in fury as he rubbed the back of his head. "You filthy _rodent,"_ he hissed, baring his teeth as he took out his baton. Adrien was ready with rapier in hand, his eyes set with determination. He was going to lose this fight. It didn't matter as long as Ladybug got away. She'd be able to do something about it, when he couldn't.

The students on the steps backed away quickly, now realizing that an actual fight was about to break out. From the side, Adrien heard his name being called. Nino. "Are you crazy?!" the DJ cried, hollering at him. "You can't take on Chat Noir like this! Just _snap out of it,_ dude! Don't let that akuma rule you!"

It took just a second for Adrien to piece it together. Oh _great!_ So that's what this fake told everyone! In growing alarm, he saw his classmates gathering around them, while Sabrina got on the phone. A wash of cold went through him, when he realized that she must be calling it in to her father, to say that _he_ was the latest akuma. Not only was his ability to take care of Marinette as Chat Noir gone, but now this fake was taking away his ability to do it as Adrien Agreste as well!

His eyes whipped back to Chat Noir, who absolutely preened at his victory. "Just give it up and tell me where she is already. I don't know _why_ you think you can stop me," he sneered, his lips twisting into an ugly, smug smirk. "You're just some meek, little mouse that can't even string two sentences together properly in front of the girl he likes. Whereas, _I_ am Chat Noir. Savior of Paris."

"No, you're not," Adrien whispered low enough for just the pair of them to hear. His eyes narrowed, growing fierce with determination. "You will _never_ be."

Chat cocked his head at him. Then his eyes widened as if he'd come to a realization. " _You..."_ he hissed, his eyes flashing in unadulterated loathing. "It's _you,_ isn't it?!"

The blond didn't answer. Instead, he lunged, thrusting his rapier right towards the fake Chat's belly, forcing the cat to jump back or be skewered. The fake hissed, his hands clawing at his sides as a new plan formed. "I've changed my mind. Getting thrown in jail is too good for you. I'll kill you first and then take your Miraculous from your lifeless corpse!"

With that, he threw himself at the blond into a full on merciless and unrelenting assault. It was instantly obvious who had the upper hand. Chat Noir had all the strength, the speed, and the stamina. It was all that Adrien could do to stay on the defensive, dodging and parrying where he could. However, just like their relative strength, a thin rapier was nothing against the thick silver Miraculous weapon. In just four strikes, it was knocked from his fingers, skittering to the concrete. In the very same backswing, Chat sent Adrien hurtling towards the ground with a smash of his baton to his face.

At once the doubt began to set in on his classmates, as they watched how completely one-sided the playing field was. "Chat! Chat Noir, what are you doing, dude?!" Nino cried out, as the supposed superhero stalked up to his fallen foe. "You're going to kill him!"

"Well, that's the idea, isn't it?" Chat said softly just for Adrien's ears, picking his head up by his blond locks to look at him. The model's face was a ruin, blood and bruise coating his entire right cheek. He gasped in pain, but was lucid enough to glare up at Chat in hatred. Chat smirked. "Not so pretty now, are you, Pretty Boy? Last chance. Where is Marinette?"

Adrien spat blood in Chat's face.

The cat snarled, wiping the blood away with his wrist. He drew his claws over Adrien's brow, threatening to rake down his face. Which is when he remembered that they still had an audience. Rising up to his feet, Chat Noir dragged his quarry up by the arm and told the students and staff, "Don't worry, I'll take care of this. All I need to do is take him to Ladybug."

"Oh, for me?" a voice called from atop the school. Ladybug smiled down at the school populace, hand on her hip, as she casually played with her yoyo. "You shouldn't have~" Adrien looked up to her and his heart soared. That is until she flung her yoyo around his waist and he learned what it was like to be a human spintop.

Dizzy and nauseous, he barely noticed that Ladybug caught him and was speeding away with him across the rooftops of Paris. When he did come to, he saw the fake Chat Noir chasing at a distance, unable to keep up. Of course, the fake wouldn't have had the experience they had patrolling across Paris. In no time at all, Ladybug ducked into one of their designated 'safe' spots that was hidden away from view from above and below.

Taking a breather, Ladybug took a moment to examine him. Her face morphed with pity. "Oh, Adrien, look what he did to you..." she whispered, tracing the outer edge of the bloody bruise that spread across the right side of his face.

"L-Ladybug, h-he's not- That's not Chat Noir," Adrien replied, trying not to succumb to that gentle touch. Even so, he could feel his entire face heating up at the way she looked at him with those bluebell eyes.

"Yeah, I figured," Ladybug muttered darkly. "Or at least he got hit by another akuma attack-"

"No!" the blond said firmly, surprising her. He looked at her, green eyes earnest. "I think I know who he is."

~o~

A short time later, the pair of them arrived at Theo Barbot's warehouse studio. Adrien was especially cautious, considering how he'd been caught in a trap last time. Copycat was definitely one of the trickier akuma they'd ever faced. He was proving to be just as tricky now, considering he was now a fugitive from the law, apparently.

Right now though, he just needed his Clumsy Girl to believe him that Copycat had made his return. However, instead of looking at their environs, her eyes seemed to be studying _him_. It was hard not to be affected, as though her gaze were making parts of his body heat wherever she looked at him. Adrien did his best to try not to notice.

That was when he saw something rather _pink_ and out of place sitting on top of the workstations. He thought back, trying to recall if he'd seen it before as Adrien and not as Chat Noir on one of his many visits. Aha. His fencing instructor. "Th-that's Marinette's diary box," he said, pointing to the trapbox his clever girlfriend had created. "That proves it. Theo was in Marinette's room. He's the one after her."

He turned a triumphant smile on his partner in crime, only to falter at the way that she stared at him. As if she'd peeled an orange to find a lime inside. "...How do you know about this place?" she asked slowly.

That was when Adrien realized his mistake.

"W-what, me?" he stammered, his face turning pale. "Well, I mean- when Copycat came out it was all a big to-do, wasn't it? With him s-stealing the Mona Lisa and all. And that horrible pun! Cat's meow-! I m-mean, he's clever someways, but otherways he's terrible! It wasn't even pun worthy! But you cleared Chat's name! B-because you're a-amazing."

...Wow, that was actually coherent. What was wrong with him?

However, it still didn't satisfy Ladybug. "This address was never in the papers," she pressed. "Chat and I came here on our own. Then Theo went to the police himself to confess to what he did."

Adrien began to sweat. He could feel the end coming, crawling down his shoulders in icy dread. She was going to hate him. She was going to say that he tricked her. How could she fall in love with the awkward, awful embarrassment that was her Pretty Boy, Adrien Agreste? He had to make one last try to convince her otherwise. "N-no, I mean- you see it's just-! Connections! My dad has lots! I-it was easy to just-!"

He froze when Ladybug put a hand to his good cheek, nearly swallowing his tongue. Her bluebell eyes bore into him. "...You're him, aren't you?" she whispered. "You're Chat Noir."

Adrien stared back, terrified and helpless. He could try to deny it. Hell, he could even try to transform in front of her and show how it didn't work.

...But he couldn't lie to her.

His heart jackhammering in his chest and his head going so lightheaded, he thought he might faint, he slowly nodded.

He wasn't prepared for this. He couldn't handle her rejection. If she left, there would be _nothing_ of him behind. Just a shell, wasting away without her.

He definitely wasn't prepared when Ladybug wrapped him up into a tight hug, threatening to squeeze the life out of him. She let out a wet laugh, burying her face into the crook of his shoulder. "You stupid cat! I thought I'd lost you!" She peeled away, smiling up at him with tears in her eyes and adoration in her smile. "And it turns out you've been with me the whole time."

Unable to believe it, Adrien stared at her. For some reason, it was his Chat Noir side that answered for him. Sans mask. "As if I wouldn't have your back, Clumsy Girl," he murmured, gently brushing the fringe of her bangs out of her eyes.

Taking this as confirmation, Ladybug let out another laugh and gave him another squeeze. Of their own volition, his arms rose and hugged her back. "You're not disappointed?" he whispered.

His Crazybug grinned against his chest. "To be honest? I actually kind of suspected." That made Adrien give a faint start. "Then Copycat turned up and turned all my suspicions on its head. I was such an idiot. I should have seen right away he wasn't the real deal."

"You knew something was wrong from the start," Adrien insisted, pushing Ladybug back to look into her eyes. "You didn't even know who was underneath the mask. You knew me _that_ well and that just makes me feel all the more blessed to be loved by you."

Ladybug smiled and blushed in a way that made his insides turn into goo and the whole world float in hazy rose. "Your stutter is gone," she observed in amusement.

The blond blinked. Then his eyes widened. "Wait. Holy crap, you're right!" he cried, taking a step backwards as his world went unbalanced. Just for good measure, he cupped Ladybug's cheeks, staring into her eyes again and said, "She sells seashells by the seashore! Red lorry, yellow lorry! Red lorry, yellow lorry! How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"

With a whoop and a fist pump in the air, he bounded around the room in excitement. "It's gone! It's gone! It's gone forever!" he cried, before he stopped. "Wait a minute, _why_ is it gone?"

"I _think,"_ his Crazybug grinned, wrapping an arm around his, "that you've finally stopped lying to yourself." As his gaze snapped to her, she smiled warmly back. "You're Adrien _and_ Chat Noir. He was in you this whole time. You never needed the mask."

Adrien flushed, even as he tried to absorb what she was saying. It was a lot to take in for all its simplicity.

That was when Ladybug frowned. "Wait, why _haven't_ you turned into Chat Noir at all in all this time?"

~o~

When Adrien explained that his kwami had been missing this entire time, Ladybug was properly horrified. As soon as they got to a safe spot (ie _not_ Theo's secret warehouse), she detransformed into Marinette and let Tikki try to find her other half.

As the little red kwami concentrated on their surroundings, Adrien looked to Marinette and said, "Hey, I love you." Just to test it out. For research purposes. He smiled a wide goofy grin as the spitfire he fell in love with at first sight blushed prettily at his words, answering them with a smile of her own.

"I found him!" Tikki said, looking excitedly back at the two lovebirds.

 _Where_ they found him was living out of the dumpster of one of the finest restaurants in Paris. He was in fact even a little chunky as he dined on the endless supply of leftovers and food waste, looking like a little food critic or a gourmand as he rated the food of the day. He gave a guilty start when he saw three familiar and angry faces glaring down at him. The way that his Chosen twitched was especially worrisome. Plagg's eyes went wide, the food he'd been nibbling on dropping from his mouth. "Er, cheese rind?" he offered, holding the treat up as an offering.

" _You little shit!"_ Adrien howled, diving head first into the dumpster with clawed hands outstretched to strangle the life out of the little kwami.

Both Marinette and Tikki had to grab him by the waist of his pants, yanking him back before he could do anything irreparable. "No, yell at him all you want, but we need him alive!" Tikki cried.

The blond settled for clasping both hands around Plagg's body and shaking him for all he was worth. "I was worried sick about you, you lazy fat cat! And here you were pigging yourself out on gourmet food! How could you?!"

"It was only for a couple days!" Plagg cried, looking as though he were about to puke from all the shaking. His eyes turned to Marinette and Tikki and he grinned. "And it looks like you didn't need me after all!"

"Oh yeah, what do you call this?!" Adrien demanded, pulling the hood back on his disguise and showing off the angry red wound on his face. If left alone, it would no doubt scar and then it was bye-bye modeling career.

Plagg went white. As white as one could when their natural color was black. "Oh kid..." he whispered, horrified.

"Don't 'oh kid' me," the blond snapped, tugging the hood back over his head before anyone recognized him from the street. "You better have ten Cataclysms in you for all that you pigged out!" Then he turned to Marinette and Tikki. "You two ready?"

His spitfire nodded, her bluebell eyes ablaze with determination. "Let's go!"

~o~

Copycat let out a predatory growl as he tore over the rooftops of Paris, finding _none_ of his quarry. His claws dug into the edge of a roof, cracking the shingles. How was it that there wasn't a single sign of those _pests_ anywhere! If this kept going, he was going to have to start attacking people on the street to get Ladybug's attention. Something he would rather _avoid_ if he was to replace Chat Noir once he killed that two-timing celebrity.

"Aw, the kitty looks a little grouchy," he heard a voice call behind him, drawing his gaze back over his shoulder.

Ladybug and Chat Noir stood over him, the cat's eyes burning in cold fury, while lady luck leaned casually against him. Copycat frowned at his double. First because of the rather obvious red bow that was tied neatly around his golden bell. Second, because there wasn't any sign of the injury he'd inflicted on Agreste from earlier. It should have been visible, even with the mask. Had he actually gotten that wrong...?

Copycat shook his head. No matter. He would destroy these two from within and then finally take what was rightfully his. Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

"Oh, you're just the perfect 'power' couple, aren't you?" he scoffed, taking out his baton to defend himself. "What a _joke."_ He raised his weapon, pointing it accusingly at the real Chat Noir. "Ladybug, this two-timing philanderer has been unfaithful to you! He's been seeing none other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng behind your back!"

At this, Ladybug spun over to her partner and gasped. "Chat Noir! Is this _true?!"_

The cat's ears pinned back, cowering as he looked at her in remorse. "I'm so sorry, milady. Alas, it's true. I've been found out."

"How could you?!" the superheroine cried, backing away from him. "I trusted you!"

Copycat noted that creating this rift was surprisingly easy. As if Ladybug had suspected that her partner was a charlatan all along.

"Please forgive me, milady!"

"Never!" Ladybug spun on her heel, heading towards Copycat. She took his hands in hers, her expression imploring. "I am so sorry. I should have never chosen that mangy tomcat over you." She pressed closer, looking up at him with those soft dewy eyes, one hand pressed to his chest. "Do you... do you think you could find it in yourself to take me back?"

"Ladybug..." Copycat whispered, his green eyes widened as his cheeks flooded with heat. This was...

That was when he felt her hand drop down to his zipper pocket.

...This was too good to be true.

With a snarl, Copycat shoved Ladybug away, throwing her up against Chat Noir. "You trickster! You two deserve each other!" he snapped as he took out his baton. There was no way that he was going to be able to take them both two-on-one. Besides, he still had yet his other quarry to find. "I knew it. Marinette is the only one for me after all! Neither of you will take her from me!" With that, he tore away from them to escape and continue his search for his ever elusive love.

Unbeknownst to him, Ladybug and Chat Noir shared a look.

"Please let me tell him."

"Chat, _no!"_

"What? It's not like he'll even remember!"

"Hawkmoth."

" _...Fine."_

~o~

After that, it didn't take very much long at all to apprehend Copycat and to depossess him. Although Chat Noir had a _mean_ vengeful streak when it came to this particular akuma, which entailed holding him off the Tour Eiffel by the scruff of his neck until he was begging for mercy.

Some of the audio was caught on one of the media helicopters, which was then censored for the sake of the children.

" _Again?! AGAIN?! Do you know how_ _ **-BL-BLEEP-**_ _annoying it is to keep having you copy me?! Get your own_ _ **-BL-BLEEP-**_ _life! And she's fifteen years old for_ _ **-BLEEP-**_ ' _s sakes, you_ _ **-BL-BLEEP-**_ _pedo!"_

The rest of it was language too foul to repeat on television.

The next day, Adrien and Marinette returned to school to find their entire class waiting for them in the courtyard, shame-faced and contrite. Nino was the first to go up to the blond, looking particularly ill. "Adrien, I'm so sorry that I ever listened to that fake. I should have never have doubted you. You were the only one of us who knew that guy was a fraud and we all ended up turning on you instead!"

Adrien gave them all a warm smile. "It's okay, guys," he said waving a hand in dismissal. "That guy was literally two-faced after all. Besides, Mari knew that he was a fraud too," he said as he casually put a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "Isn't that right?"

The simple action floored the entire class, their remorseful expressions replaced by disbelief. Adrien was talking to Marinette. Adrien was _touching_ Marinette. Adrien Agreste wasn't _stuttering_ in front of Marinette.

Well aware of how stunned their class already was, Marinette decided to up the odds. Her hand went to Adrien's right cheek where Miraculous Ladybug had healed the wound to his face. (Although it was lucky that the model always carried concealer on him.) "Yes, and I was never in any danger thanks to my knight in shining armor," she smiled, pressing a kiss to his cheek that even now made a giddy grin spread across his lips and his face heat up in a blush.

Alya was the first to speak, pointing a finger back and forth between the model and her bestie. "Wha- how- _when?!"_ she choked.

"Yesterday," the pair replied in unison.

"O-okay, but how are you not stuttering?" Kim asked slowly.

Adrien replied with a bright grin, "Marinette has magical kisses!"

"...What?" Alya said flatly.

"Marinette has magical kisses," the blond repeated matter-of-factly, "the more she kisses me, the less I stutter." He checked his watch. "Actually, I think I'm due for a recharge right now," he said turning to his girlfriend with an expectant look.

Marinette's cheeks exploded into a blush, feeling everyone's eyes on them. "Adrien, don't be ridiculous!"

That was when the blond began to mock choke. "Oh no!" he gasped dramatically, "i-it's coming b-back! Marinette, _p-please!_ Only you can save me!"

The designer put a hand over her face, absolutely mortified by her boyfriend's behavior. Maybe it was a mistake to finally merge Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste into one. "Ugh, fine! I can't believe you sometimes!" she hissed at him as she pulled him down by the front of his shirt.

He winked. "Oh you know you love it."

She grumbled, but didn't deny it. Instead, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips for their whole class and even other schoolmates in the courtyard to see. Everyone exploded into a round of gasps and cheers, then thunderous applause. The happy couple blushed and held hands, smiling at everyone who couldn't believe that Awkward Adrien had finally pulled it off.

Chloe and Sabrina watched the spectacle from afar in silence. "Sabrina, let's go," the queen bee said, pushing herself off of the brick wall, as they headed to class.

With no one there to see, a tiny smile pulled at the corners of her lips.


End file.
